BEST experience of my LIFE December 13, 2022
By Gwendolin C (Berea College) - abroad from 08/29/2021 to 12/22/2021 with
Keimyung University: Daegu - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned so much. Korean culture is amazing and has so much depth to it. Daegu is a wonderful city and I miss it so much. I also found a church of Christ in Daegu, which I went to every week. Best experience of my life, 10/10.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I enjoyed all my classes. Best educational experience of my life. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The head of exchange students over there (김표정) was not helpful at all. When we first arrived, nobody was there to help us and tell us where to go and what we had to do. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
They told us we were going to have Korean roommates, but we did not. They didn't even mix us up at all. The Americans had American roommates, Germans had German roommates, etc. |
| * Food: |
Food was really good and relatively cheap |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was amazing being able to speak Korean every day. I probably adapted better than others since I already knew basic Korean. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Korea is not very foreigner-friendly. Since I went during covid, there were a lot of things we had to do, but Keimyung did not help us one bit. |
| * Safety: |
Daegu felt completely safe, even at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Now that I've made friends at Keimyung, I wouldn't want to go back to anywhere else. |
Finances
|
* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
I'm not sure. I received a scholarship, so I wasn't on as tight of a budget as other people. For me, it was pretty easy though. Food over there is not that expensive. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
|
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
If you took courses in English, there was really no encouragement to use the language, but I took Korean courses, so of course there was a huge encouragement to speak Korean. As for the exchange program itself, I would say there wasn't a huge push to speak Korean since there are many courses offered in English. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | TALK TO KOREAN PEOPLE!! It will be super easy to just stay in your click of international students and only speak English every day, but you're never going to improve your Korean by doing that. Koreans are shy, so don't be afraid to talk to them first (in Korean, of course). |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I would've known just how foreigner-unfriendly Korea is. Also, cheese in Korea is terrible. Nothing could have prepared me for that. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
